‘I loathed myself’: OnlyFans mum reveals parenthood struggle
A mum who rakes in the cash by stripping off for strangers has opened up about how she is shamed for doing her job while her daughter plays in the next room – but says OnlyFans, a popular video sharing platform known for its salacious content, "makes me a better parent".
Jessica Smyers, 29, is regularly trolled and met with negativity by people who don't agree with her career. However the model refuses to feel ashamed of the lingerie shoots that she shares with fans on the app.
The mum-of-one, whose daughter is four years old, first launched her account in November 2019 after three years of being a stay-at-home mum, while living with her parents in the US state of Arizona.
Ms Smyers had been a police officer in the Navy but left after falling pregnant in 2016 and went home for support as she would be raising her daughter alone.
“It was such a hard time in my life. I'd been so driven in my career and suddenly I felt like I had no control of my career path," she said.
"I often loathed myself for bringing life into this world and felt like I couldn’t take care of myself financially, let alone my daughter.
“The vicious cycle of self doubt and self loathing made me feel like I wasn’t ready to be a mother.
"Then social media changed my life. I was able to make enough money to provide for my daughter and move out into our own place.
“Now I have meaning, I have purpose again," she said.
Mum faces trolls and abuse over OnlyFans account
But while her career as a model has since taken off, it has come with many challenges – including the mum being shamed for her choices.
“I’ve been mum-shamed for having an OnlyFans account," she says.
"Some very traditional family members had concerns I wasn’t putting my daughter first but by working this way she can be home with me while I work.
“I think they wanted me to be a housewife with a husband to support me but that was never going to be me.”
Jessica has also been called a "slut", a "bad mum" and "irresponsible" by trolls online. She also claims to have been judged by close friends who have distanced themselves from her.
"I refuse to stop flaunting my sexuality just because I’m a mother now.
"Society has such a problem with mums owning their sexy side but it’s a huge part of who I am and I’ll always be honest with my daughter in an age-appropriate way.
“Right now she knows I’m a model and I take pictures for a job and that’s all.
“While she plays on the other side of the apartment I will pose and make content in my room.”
She first started modelling as a hobby while serving in the US Navy as a police officer for five years from 2011-2016.
“Being in the military was extremely hard," she said. "I would spend 17 hours on my post as a watchperson and then sleep and get up and do it all again.
"I wanted more from my life than just standing on watch so I started modelling alongside my work as a way to feel more like myself."
The platform has been embraced by celebrities, fledgling sports stars as well as regular creators, typically women, all around the world – often drawing salacious headlines.
“I don’t understand the shame around it. Why is a mum on OnlyFans any different to a famous actress doing a sex scene for a movie? It is all entertainment,” she said.
Australcope
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